Sl. Gadowsky et al., BIOCHEMICAL FOLATE, B-12, AND IRON STATUS OF A GROUP OF PREGNANT ADOLESCENTS ACCESSED THROUGH THE PUBLIC-HEALTH SYSTEM IN SOUTHERN ONTARIO, Journal of adolescent health, 16(6), 1995, pp. 465-474
Purpose: This study was designed to estimate the prevalence of biochem
ical iron, folate, and vitamin B-12 depletion among a group of Canadia
n pregnant adolescents accessed through the Public Health system. Furt
her, the impact of prenatal supplement use, chronologic age, gynecolog
ic age, living arrangement, main source of income, postpartum custody
plan, time of entry into prenatal care, and cigarette smoking on labor
atory indices of the three nutrients were determined. Methods: Fifty-e
ight adolescents (14.5-19.0 years) were interviewed and blood samples
were collected at 36 +/- 2 wk gestation. Results: Thirteen (22%) of th
e pregnant adolescents had anemia (hemoglobin < 110g/L) and forty-five
(78%) had depleted iron stores (plasma ferritin < 26.6 pmol/L or 12.0
ug/L). Trventy-five subjects had plasma B-12 values in the sub-optima
l range (< 148 pmol/L). Five of the 16 adolescents who infrequently or
never consumed a folate-containing supplement had suboptimal erythroc
yte folate values. Twenty-four percent of the subjects had hypersegmen
ted neutrophils and of these, all and 71% of subjects had plasma ferri
tin and B-12 concentrations in the suboptimal range, respectively. Sel
f-reported folic acid and B-12 supplement intakes were correlated with
the corresponding blood values for these nutrients. In contrast, supp
lement iron use was only weakly, or not at all associated with biochem
ical indices of iron status. Conclusions: Data from the present study
indicate that plasma B-12 and ferritin levels are low in a group of pr
egnant adolescents. These low values appear to be associated with a hi
gh prevalence of hypersegmented neutrophils. Prenatal supplement use a
ppears to reduce the risk of low folate and B-12 blood values but not
biochemical iron status.